Wednesday, May 28, 1997
Local charities fall victim to 'massacre'
By RICHARD HORN / Abilene Reporter-News
Charitable groups in Abilene and across the state are among
victims of the "Memorial Day Massacre."
A bill to clarify the legality of charitable gift annuities
was deep-sixed along with 51 others late Monday in a still-roiling
controversy over points of order in the Texas House.
"Every charitable organization in Texas is up in arms,"
state Rep. Bob Hunter said late Tuesday. "All of the groups
in Abilene will be very concerned today about this bill going
down along with the others."
He and other lawmakers were scrambling to find a similar Senate
bill to which the measure could be attached as an amendment. The
deadline was midnight.
"We've worked all day and there's a very slim chance of
it happening," Hunter said from the House floor. "It
may be one of the great losses from the (House) calendar."
House members were still reeling Tuesday from the unexpected
bill kill, engineered by Republican Rep. Arlene Wohlgemuth as
payback for what she called the similar sabotage of bills supported
by conservatives.
Among the casualties were measures that would:
- Create faith-based welfare services and additional charter
schools - two of Gov. George W. Bush's priorities.
- Put Texas' councils of government under stronger state oversight.
The bill came after reports last year of the regional councils
spending money on such items as trips to distant conferences for
commission members and their spouses.
- Conform Texas law with new federal requirements regarding
health care for adopted children, making mental health benefits
more equal to health and surgical insurance benefits. Without
the bill, federal law approved last year will rule in Texas, according
to backers.
- Grant immunity from liability to volunteer health care providers
who perform free services on behalf of charitable organizations.
GOP House members had become frustrated that conservative-backed
bills weren't getting fair consideration, Mrs. Wohlgemuth said
in a statement.
She was particularly frustrated by the bottling up of legislation
mandating parental notification prior to teen abortions, a bill
passed by the Senate, supported by Bush and enjoying strong support
in the House but held in committee.
"Republicans have also stood by and watched a bill on
same-sex marriages be defeated. We were completely helpless in
that process," she said. "I think a statement was made
about why measures that are important to families, important to
the people of this state, haven't been heard."
But several other House members attacked her move as counter-productive
and an example of a "cancer" on the democratic process.
"In one fell swoop, we lost 52 pieces of legislation ...
that entailed thousands and thousands of hours of work, energy,
thought and compromise," said Democratic Rep. Dan Kubiak
of Rockdale. "How do we face our constituents and explain
how we wasted these resources?"
Local lawmakers were frustrated but also philosophical, noting
that Wohlgemuth took advantage of the rules as they are written.
"There was just a build-up of frustration from the standpoint
of the many sponsors of parental notification," Hunter said.
He also said many lawmakers were surprised when Speaker of
the House Pete Laney ruled all bills on the relevant calendar
had been killed by the Wohlgemuth maneuver.
"We could have taken up those bills, it seemed to us,
one at a time," Hunter said. "Everything can be used
in the way of parliamentary procedure, but in this case it was
a surprise to many that the ruling knocked off all of the calendar."
State Rep. Jim Keffer, R-Eastland, a freshman, said he also
was surprised all the bills were killed but declined to "second
guess anyone."
"She did stand up for what she believed, and people want
people to do that when they come down to serve in the Legislature,"
he said. "This is a political animal down here and things
are going to happen. Hopefully, level heads will prevail."
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Abilene Reporter-News / Texnews / E.W. Scripps Publications
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